Infant{3 s car bed

ABSTRACT

A car bed is disclosed having a rectangular lightweight framework with extensible seat engaging means projecting from each of its corners. Front, rear and bottom walls are of semirigid material hingedly interconnected at their coterminous ends with the front and rear walls being additionally attached to said framework in a hinged manner whereby said walls may be upwardly collapsed against the framework. Yieldable sidewalls permit such collapsing.

United States Patent References Cited [72] Inventor Paul G. Mattila 4 49mn9 9oo 5 5 55 S mm m T mmmm N mm m E u n T I m A "u n P m m m m B "mmmmmdm A mvmr. .e e T e m S m a .1 r.. u LABT E H8879 N5556 Uwwww ///l9984 8400 1067 3566 5033 l 2233 m d n u 0 w m a B A 3 4 7 5 9 X 6 o 9 mx & n D. R97hA o. d d Wm ia AFP UM 224 [ll Primary Examiner-Casmir A.Nunberg Attorney-James D. Givnan, Jr.

ABSTRACT: A car bed is disclosed having a rectangular lightweightframework with extensible seat engaging means m m g .m Rm Ar CD s mm A m0 m2 Q U projecting from each of its comers. Front, rear and bottomwalls are of semirigid material hingedly interconnected at theircoterminous ends with the front and rear walls being additionallyattached to said framework in a hinged manner whereby said walls may beupwardly collapsed against the framework. Yieldable sidewalls permitsuch collapsing.

Patented April 13, 1971 PAUL G. MATTILA INVENTOR.

INFANTS CAR BED BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present inventionrelates generally to car beds for infants and small children and morespecifically to such a bed having further use as a bed other than whendisposed within an automobile.

The prior art discloses numerous types of infant car beds predominantlyembodying frames of formed metal with the bed itself being of clothstitched about and suspended from the framework. A number of these typesof beds convert to a childrens automobile seat and are useable otherthan within the automobile. The car beds shown in the prior art furtherinclude a pair of seat-engaging hangers disposed at one end of the carbed with the opposite bed end being supported by a car seat or legs.

The present car bed includes a substantial departure from the foregoingin that a rigid framework is provided with extensible seat-engaging padsfor firm and secure abutment against the car seats or seat anddashboard. The obvious advantage of such secure attachment is theunliklihood of bed dislodgement upon emergency stops or even collisionswhere the seats remain entact within the car body. I

A further advantage is the convenience with which the present bed may beoperatively disposed within the automobile, a task often as notperformed by the mother. The prior art beds are notoriously complex byreason of the several adjustable features therein provided and by thefact that the framework includes a central pivot permitting conversionof the bed to a child's seat.

Utilized in the present car bed is a rigid framework carrying at itscorners four telescoping support rods. All adjustments are from the topside accordingly no intricate mechanical operations involving unseenthreaded fasteners or fitting of leg ends into pairs of correspondingopenings is required of the installer ofthe car bed.

The present bed is collapsible upon removal of a sway brace and with thepartial rotation of the seat-engaging pads further reducing thecollapsed size. Importantly, the sway brace serves to retain the bedinoperative configuration to permit use of the bed on any flat, levelsurface within the home thus the tedious adjustments required of theprior art beds are avoided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A car bed is provided having a rigidrectangular framework having extensible means at the ends thereof forsupported engagement with the automobile. The front and rear walls ofthe bed are hingedly supported by the framework and are collapsiblethereagainst for storage. Convenient adjustment means are visible at alltimes for placement and locking of the seat engaging part of the bedfirmly in place against the seat. A sway brace locks the front, rear,and bottom walls in perpendicular relationship to permit use of the carbed when disassociated from the automobile seats.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present car bed operatively disposedwithin an automobile;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the present car bed collapsed forstorage;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33of FIG. 1 showing atypical T-fitting and lock of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and showingthe hinged connection between the front wall and framework member; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing the bed operatively disposedon a flat surface with the seat engaging means removed.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With continuing reference to thedrawing wherein like numerals indicate parts similarly identified in thefollowing specification the reference numeral 1 throughout identifiestubular side members of the car bed while like end members are indicatedat 2.

Firmly securing said members at their adjacent ends are T- fittings 3,the ends of the side members extending through the length of the T whilethe tubular end members 2 terminate in sockets 4 of the fittings. TheT-fittings preferably include, in a conventional manner, means such asset screws (not shown) to permanently secure the framework in rigid,rectangular form.

Slidably housed in a snug manner within the end portion of the sidemembers 1 are tubular support rods 5 each having a series of adjustmentholes as at 6. With reference to FIG. 3, a locking pin 7 is showninsertable through aligned openings in the T-fitting, side member 1 andholes 6 of its associated tubular support rod 5. The rod 5 isaccordingly adjustably carried and extensible from the T-fitting for thepurpose of locating an integral metal pad member as at 8. The padmembers 8 cooperate when positioned outwardly against the seat backs ora seat back and the automobile dashboard to secure the bed againstaccidental displacement. In this regard attention is directed toward theconcave seat contacting surfaces 8A of the pad members 8, which surfaceswhen firmly abutted against the seat or dashboard prevent any accidentalupward dislodgement of the bed framework. A resilient lining may be usedto deter injury to the contacted parts of the auto.

Each pin 7 is insertable as aforesaid through aligned openings 6 in therods 5 which openings are spaced along each rod approximately at inchintervals to provide for maximum adjustability without weakening the roditself. The pins are shown chained at 10 for the sake of convenience andalso for the child s safety.

In FIG. 4 a fragment of an upper part of a front wall 11 of a bedenclosure is shown hingedly attached to the tubular end member 2 bymeans of a sleevelike terminus 12 along the top of the wall. The rearwall at 13 is identically formed at 14. The material used for the walls,including the bottom wall at 15 is of a semirigid, durable nature ableto withstand calculated bending loads without shattering or breaking.For this reason a durable, high-impact-type plastic of attractive coloris preferred.

With attention now being directed toward FIG. 1 and the mated edges ofthe end walls and bottom walls as therein typically shown. Said edgesare respectively mortised in an alternate manner at 11A and 15A topermit interengagement of their edges and thereat to receive aninterconnecting hinge element 16 extending transversely of the walls. Topermit the collapsed configuration shown in FIG. 2 the mortises 11A and15A are extended somewhat to allow the front and rear walls to move intothe inclined relationship during collapsing. The mortising of rear andbottom wall edges is indicated at 13A and 158 which also receive asecond hinge element 17.

For maintaining the bed in a useable configuration a sway brace 20 isshown pivoted at 21 to a side tubular member 1 its opposite end beingnotched at 22 (FIG. 2) to receive a pin 23 carried by front wall 11.Accordingly with the front wall secured in the vertical, the rear wall13 is also maintained vertical in both operative dispositions shown inFIG. 1 and FIG. 5. A pin 24 is affixed to one of the side members 1 toreceive the sway brace 20 when the bed is folded as in FIG. 2. Thesleevelike terminus 12 and 14 of the front and rear walls will supportthe tubular end members 2 when the bed is placed on a flat surface as inFIG. 5. With the car disposed as in FIG. 1 the terminus 12 and 14 ofcourse serve to suspend the walls.

Foldable sides of the car bed are provided by a fabric member which isstitched at 26 about the tubular side members 1 and from thence extendsdownwardly to constitute sidewalls 27. The fabric member may be of onepiece, extending around beneath the bottom wall 14 when in place. If

' 3 4 desired said fabric member may be secured to the bottom wallsleeve portions extending about the framework end along the Sid s of thlatt r. members in a manner permitting said walls to be swung l Claim! Iupwardly along with the bottom wall to collapse same up- I. A car bedfor infants comprising in combination: dl a in t aid framework, andFibula! fl'ameWPYk of Tectangular Shape havmg "B 5 sidewalls for saidbed being of foldable material and mterconnecteq Slde and find members;extending downwardly from said side members of the front and rear pairsof support rods telescopically carried by framework to define along withSaid end walls a bed said side members with said rods having aperturesto v enclosure reFell/e locklflg meanlsi I d V 2. The car bed as claimedin claim 7 wherein a sway brace is fi i e framework mm pivotally mountedat one of its ends to one of the framework d be ffxedt the t d f t sidemembers and 18 adapted at its opposite end for pa mem O er en 0 Suppor mengagement with one of the end walls for retaining the latter in andhaving concave surfaces for retentive abutment a vertical operativeposition Said bottom wall and the against front and rear automobileseats;

front and rear end walls depending from said end members of theframework and an intermediate bottom wall hingedly suspendedtherebetween;

said front and rear walls terminating upwardly in rigid remaining endwall also being retained in an operative position to support theframework when the car bed is disassociated from the automobile seat.

1. A car bed for infants comprising in combination: a tubular frameworkof rectangular shape having rigid interconnected side and end members;front and rear pairs of support rods telescopically carried by said sidemembers with said rods having apertures to receive locking means;locking means insertable into said framework and into said support rods;pad members affixed to the outer ends of said support rods and havingconcave surfaces for retentive abutment against front and rearautomobile seats; front and rear end walls depending from said endmembers of the framework and an intermediate bottom wall hingedlysuspended therebetween; said front and rear walls terminating upwardlyin rigid sleeve portions extending about the framework end members in amanner permitting said walls to be swung upwardly along with the bottomwall to collapse same upwardly against said framework, and sidewalls forsaid bed being of foldable material and extending downwardly from saidside members of the framework to define along with said end walls a bedenclosure.
 2. The car bed as claimed in claim 7 wherein a sway brace ispivotally mounted at one of its ends to one of the framework sidemembers and is adapted at its opposite end for engagement with one ofthe end walls for retaining the latter in a vertical operative position,said bottom wall and the remaining end wall also being retained in anoperative position to support the framework when the car bed isdisassociated from the automobile seat.